There’s a new cool thing to do in the Capital of Cool. In December the crazy creative guys out at Weta Workshop in Miramar opened another tour attraction to complement their Workshop Tour. Whether you’re a fanatic of the Thunderbirds Are Go! TV series or merely curious about miniatures, Weta Workshop, or anything crafty and creative, this tour is one you shouldn’t miss!
The friendly and enthusiastic tour guides lead you through the process for how the technicians design and build the extraordinarily detailed miniatures, digital characters and Thunderbird vehicles.
For fans of the original 1960s Thunderbirds, you’ll hear some interesting facts about the use of puppetry and the inspiration for the creators Sylvia and Gerry Anderson. The tour begins with an introductory video from Sir Richard Taylor himself, and his fascination with the original series as inspiration to his career at Weta and his miniature creations for the new series with ITV and Pukeko Pictures.
The new series Thunderbirds Are Go! pays homage to the original as well as introducing new elements to appeal to a new generation of little fanatics. It’s a fascinating use of both traditional methods and new technologies to really create something magical. If you’ve got kids travelling with you so much the better – this tour will get them off their devices and unleash their imagination as they are triggered to look at how to re-purpose normal household junk to make stuff.
You actually get to see, close up and personal, many major set pieces, miniatures and ‘biggatures’ (that’s their word for a big miniature) from Season 1 and from Season 2 that they finish filming on the site in early February 2016.